Aloe vera soothes burns and skin irritations and works as a moisturizer for dry skin. To get the most benefit from your plant, harvest all of the gel from a leaf at one time, and then refrigerate it and use as needed.

You can wrap whole leaves in plastic wrap or store them in sealable plastic bags and then refrigerate them for several days. Whole aloe vera leaves may also be wrapped and then frozen.

Stand your aloe leaf cut side down in a glass for 15 minutes to allow the sap to drain naturally. Discard the sap. Place the leaf on a cutting board and cut your aloe leaf in half horizontally. Scoop out the gel with a spoon. Place the sap in a jar, seal the jar and store it in the refrigerator, using it as you need it.

The gel will naturally turn brown over time. To prevent discoloration, cut a vitamin E gel capsule in half and squish the vitamin into the gel. Stir the substances together. If you're storing a whole leaf, the plant will wither and mold, so use it within a week.